How long?
by rainstormslove
Summary: Daniel realizes that there is something more to his relationship with Dylan.


"He is our friend, he is our leader, Dylan Shrike!" Daniel announced as a small smile crossed his normally stoic features. Dylan walked down the wing of the plane towards him, exchanging small touches—reassurance, affection, celebration—with the other Horsemen.

Almost immediately, he knew it was a moment he would never forget. On the wing of that plane, in the middle of the Thames, with the world literally at his feet and what stuck out to Daniel the most was the feeling of warmth that stole over him as Dylan walked past and trailed his arm around Daniel's waist, his other hand briefly squeezing Daniel's shoulder. As he watched Dylan begin the final act of their New Year's Eve performance, Daniel couldn't help the look of adoration that flashed over his face.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about it before. Daniel could lie to anyone, he was the consummate performer, but he didn't—wouldn't—lie to himself. He had been attracted to Dylan since their first interaction. There in one of the FBI's non-descript interrogation rooms, even when Dylan was no one to him but an obstacle to overcome, the attraction was there. He didn't delude himself though, attraction was just attraction, fate had greater things in mind for Daniel Atlas.

When, weeks later, he found out that Dylan was the mastermind behind the Horsemen and their direct link to the Eye… well, he could admit, if only to himself, that he was a bit in awe. The attraction was still there. When Dylan's eyes met his and there seemed to be a flash of connection as Dylan's lips quirked just a little bit more before his eyes trailed onto something else.

In the months that followed Dylan spent time with all of them. Working on acts, perfecting their abilities, learning to work perfectly as a group. There was no special attention, no stolen touches or glances between them. There were many conversations, countless conversations, but Daniel simply put it down to their similar personalities and that they were both natural leaders. Decisions about their smaller shows were made mostly jointly. Dylan was his friend. Dylan was their leader behind the scenes but during a performance Daniel was always center stage. It was enough for Daniel, he didn't let himself hope for more.

Nearly a year after their final performance in New York City, Henley left. Daniel wasn't surprised, he was feeling impatient himself but was still managing. For a while though, this seemed to unbalance the rest of the Horsemen. It left only him and Merritt on stage with Jack and Dylan working behind the scenes. For a time, nothing happened. There were no acts on the horizon. Nothing to work for or look forward to…

That was when Daniel began to lose his patience.

He knew he wanted to stay with the Eye, unlike Henley, simply taking an "out" was never an option. He went above Dylan's head and tried to go directly to the Eye himself. His ego and his need for control led him to believe he could lead the Horsemen without Dylan's input. He cringed at the thought, admittedly, it wasn't his best moment.

When it came to light that it was his mistake that got his team into the situation in Macau, he was horrified. Horrified that he was so easily played, horrified that he had trusted so blindly, horrified that his actions could have led directly to his own death and the death of his friends.

Suddenly, though, Dylan was there with him, at the market in Macau. Daniel said terrible things to him—things he regretted almost immediately—but then Walter appeared and everything was going to shit. He still has the bruise from being kicked in the stomach. Dylan was back, acting upset with him but then shoving him through the hidden door, away from danger. Putting the chip back into his pocket and whispering to get to safety, get back to the others. Daniel stared blindly at the locked door for a minute, hearing the muffled sounds of the fight happening on the other side, and suddenly he was running. He had to get to the others, they had to help Dylan. Walter had a lot of guys with him, and even for someone with FBI training, the odds were still overwhelmingly against him.

When the Horsemen saw Walter's men loading the Lionel Shrike safe into the back of the truck Daniel felt like the world was tilting on its axis, spinning wildly out of control. They were trying to drown Dylan. The man that he… was still attracted to, but was also his leader, his friend.

He and the other Horsemen followed the truck, watched them dump the safe into the water. Daniel handed the chip to Jack. He waited just long enough so that Walter and Tressler weren't watching the water before he silently dropped into the river and swam as quickly as he could towards where he saw the safe drop into the water. It seemed to take an interminably long time to get to the right spot, all the thoughts of what could be happening to Dylan played through his mind.

Daniel dove down towards the bottom, searching for the safe as the water burned his eyes. The door of the safe was open but Dylan was drifting outside of the safe. He was only unconscious, he had to be, it hadn't been that long, there was no room for failure here. He grabbed Dylan around the waist and pushed off hard from the bottom. Time seemed to be moving at a faster pace and before he knew it they were both back on the out of the way loading dock where the rest of the Horsemen had been waiting.

For one, heart-shattering second Dylan didn't breathe, or move. Daniel could hear the voices of his team around them, but couldn't begin to comprehend what they were saying. All he could think at the time was 'Not Dylan.' He pressed on Dylan's chest, thinking to do CPR—something, anything to get Dylan breathing again, to meet his eyes with that soft expression that Dylan seemed to reserve for him.

Wait, soft expression—is that how Dylan looked at him? How had he missed this? Why did his mind see fit to bring this to light now? The rest of the time that brought him back to the present flashed across his mind in a blur of relief, guilt, and anticipation.

Daniel shook himself out of his trip down memory lane. He looked up and they were on a boat, in the replica police uniforms that the Eye had provided them with for their escape. Had he missed something? He knew the act had gone on without a hitch, his part played well despite his distraction. Dylan was sitting next to him on the boat, his arm slung behind Daniel's shoulders across the back of his seat.

Daniel looked up at Dylan, who glanced down at him, brown eyes sparkling and lips quirked in a way that now seemed familiar. How long had _this_ been going on? Daniel imagined his expression must have been somewhere near star struck.

"Glad to see you're back with us," Dylan joked lightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I've been here the whole time. Maybe your memory is starting to go in your old age."

The quick, smart-ass response that was so Daniel brought a smile to Dylan's face. He briefly tightened his arm around Daniel's shoulders, leaning in to kiss Daniel on the top of his head.

Daniel's eyes widened and before he could filter what came out of his mouth he echoed his earlier thought, "How long has this been going on?"

Dylan's smile got even wider. "Since you managed to handcuff me to the table in my own interrogation room."

"I, uh, wow. Really? And you haven't said anything or… or done anything until now?"

As adorable as this stuttering and unsure side of the normally indifferent Daniel Atlas was, Dylan decided to put him out of his misery.

"Danny." Dylan called his name to get his attention and then leaned in again, bringing their lips together. It was a chaste kiss, just the slight movement of lips against each other, but it was world-changing. A new-found joy, even amongst the already celebratory air of the people around them.

The kiss might have gone on for seconds, or minutes, or hours but was interrupted by the snickering of their team and the catcalls to 'get a room' or 'it's about time.'

"I guess they approve," Dylan whispered to him as he kissed the side of Daniel's head, the short hairs soft against his lips.

Daniel snaked an arm behind Dylan's back, around his waist and pulled them even closer together. He smiled, resting his head on Dylan's shoulder. As the boat sped down the Thames toward the Eye safe house they were headed towards, the warmth that had spread through his body earlier as Dylan walked past him on the wing of that plane once more engulfing his body. Daniel looked up at the stars and thought that he could get used to this feeling, the rest he could deal with later.

Author's Note: I don't own Dylan or Danny (though maybe I wish I did) or the rest of the NYSM characters or plot. I think it's pretty obvious which moment in NYSM2 inspired this fic and also my interest in this pairing. Very open to constructive criticism, let me know what you think. :)


End file.
